TELLUS_LAND_TXT_JPL_RL05_1

PODAAC-TELND-TXJP5

Version 1

AbstractThe twin satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), launched in March of 2002, are making detailed monthly measurements of Earth's gravity field changes. These observations can detect regional mass changes of Earth's water reservoirs over land, ice and oceans. GRACE measures gravity variations by relating it to the distance variations between the two satellites, which fly in the same orbit, separated by about 240 km at an altitude of ~450 km. The monthly land mass grids contain terrestrial water storage anomalies (in aquifers, river basins, etc.) from JPL GRACE time-variable gravity data relative to a time-mean. The storage anomalies are given in 'equivalent water thickness' (in ASCII format). The time coverage for the monthly grids are determined by GRACE months. For the list of GRACE month dates visit http://grace.jpl.nasa.gov/data/grace-months/. For information please visit http://grace.jpl.nasa.gov/data/get-data/monthly-mass-grids-land/.